GTA 6 physical disc release re-confirmed by Take-Two CEO

UPDATE: It's since been confirmed GTA 6 will not have a physical disc SKU at launch. Zelnick's words below were misconstrued and were technically referring to GTA 6's code-in-a-box version as the physical retail presence/product.

Grand Theft Auto VI will indeed have a physical disc version at launch with a large retail presence, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick has re-confirmed.

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Rockstar Games won't be opting for a digital-only release for the biggest game in modern history. This rumor has been debunked already, but to squash any lingering suspicion, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick reiterated to CNBC that GTA 6 will still have physical boxed version that is sold on retail shelves.

"[For this release,] I think the biggest channel will still be digital, but there will be a big physical component," Zelnick said in the interview.

In the company's FY26 earnings call, Zelnick says that the group has high esteem for its retail partners and looks forward to unique marketing opportunities with them.

"The goal of this company is not to control distribution. The goal of this company is to make hits and bring them to consumers wherever they are, however they want them, and of course, to do so on economic terms.

"We value our third-party retailers greatly.

"We especially value them when they provide marketing opportunities for us. We understand that there's a value in the marketing that third-party retailers can provide, and that would intersect with how much they charge us for access to their consumers. The more value a third-party retailer provides to us from a marketing point of view, the more comfortable we are working with them."

Zelnick has also confirmed GTA 6's marketing will go into full swing this summer, and that it's "not quite summer just yet," according to the CEO.

Rockstar Games is expected to announce pre-order pricing for GTA 6 once the marketing campaign is activated, potentially confirming one of the biggest questions in gaming: Will GTA 6 be the first-ever $80 game?

There is also speculation that Rockstar could premiere GTA 6's trailer 3 during the upcoming Sony State of Play event in June, but nothing has been confirmed.